Conduit connection for outlet-boxes



M; c. ROSENFELD. CONDUIT CONNECTION FOR OUTLET BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY18, 1917.

Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT orme-1;.

MORTIMER C. ROSENFELD, OFCLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T THE ADAPTI COM- P ANY, O F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OE OHIO.

CONDUIT CONNECTION FOIL OUTLET-BOXES.

1,356,831. speicationofLetfersPatent Patented oe't.26,192o.

Application led .Tuly'18, 1917. Serial No. 181,230. I

To all lwhom t may concern: box or receptacleto which conduits are con- Be it known that I, MORTIMER C. RosEN nected by means of my ,improved coupler; FELD, a citizen of the United States, residing Fig. 2 is a perspective ,view ofthe body of' at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and the coupler; Fig. 3 isa similar view of the 5 State of Ohio, have invented a certain new retaining element; Fig. 4 is an end 'elevation 60 and'useful Improvement in Conduit Connecof the coupler; Fig. 5, a section on the line tions for Outlet-Boxes, of which the follow- 5-5 of Fig. 41, with the conduit and wire reing is a full, clear, and exact description, moved; and Figs. 6 and 7 are longitudinal reference being had to .the accompanying and transverse sections, respectively, of a 10 drawings. modification.

This invention -relates'to an improved cou- The body portion 1 -is shown as generally pler for connecting the ends of electric wire Cylindrical. All 0116 end it S PI'OVded With. conduits to outlet boxes, switch boxes, or likel an internal shoulder 2 extending throughout receptacles, it being understood by those the greater` part of its circumference, and familiar with the subject at hand, that boxes from the inner edge of this shoulder'pro- 70 or receptacles of the class alluded to have y 'Wildes if? lip engaging POI'OII 3' 0f 3f Width openings (originally closed by knockpermittlng it be passed freely through v outs) through which'the wires `are led. one of the openlngs 4 in the box or recep-l For convenience 'of description, the opposed tacle 5. An offset `8 extends along the side edges of these openings will be referred to 0f the body opposite that having the lip e'n- 75 hereinafter as lips gaging portion, said offset providing recess The invention has for its objects the proor channel 9 on the interior of the body.. duction of a simple and economical self The tongue 10 of a retaining element 1 1 re-l contained coupler of the above character poses within the recess 9 and (in the form of which is extremely convenient of use and is the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5) is held 80 highly eiiective in securing a conduit to a thelfeln by a .Screw 12 whichpasses freely box or receptacle of the aforesaid nature. thIOllgh @Il aperture 1.3 in the Wall 0f the 0H To these ends the invention provides a set 8. .and S threaded info all aperture 14 0f tubular body, and a retaining element carthe retaining element. The forward end of ried by and extending along one side of the .the tongue is turned inward 1n the plane of 85 body and capable of being rocked 1ongitudithe Shoulder 2, as indicated at 2a, to constlnally or moved at its opposite ends radially tute COIISIlUtOIl 0f that Shoulder @nd with respect to the bod the body and eletherebeyorid is provided Wlth a lip engagmg ment having opposed lip enga, portionsl. portion 3*l which is opposed to the correeans are included for moving iie element SPOIldlllg POI'IOII ofthe body. v 90 as aforesaid, so that, upon inserting the lip F rom the foregoing construction it 1s obengaging portions of the coupler into an; vlous that by turning the screw 12 1n an. opening of a box or receptacle and actuating approprlate direction the adjacent end of the above mentioned means, said portions the retaining element may be moved inward may be separated or expanded into holding to cause a contraction of the lip engaging 95 engagement with the lips, while (simultaneportions 3 and 3a so that said portions may ously under 'certain conditions and espebe projected, by lirst inserting one and then cially in one embodiment of my invention) the other, through .an opening 4 of the box the opposite end of the element may be or receptacle, a'

fter which the screw 12 may moved inward towardI the opposed wall of be turned in the opposite direction to draw 100v the body to clamp between it and said wall the retaining element back into the. recess 9 the previously inserted end of a conduit. and expand the lip engaging portions into Two modifications of my .invention are firmcontact with 'opposed sides of the illustrated inI the accom anying drawing, opening. and these are suscepti le to' structural g A second screw 16 is threaded through'an 105 changes without departing from the spirit aperture 17 in the wall of the offsetS near of the invention the scope whereof is .coits end opposite the aperture 13, and theV extensive with the breadth of the annexed inner end of the screw 16 is arranged to en# claims. gage the tongue 10. It' may be explained 515 F igure l is a sectional view of a switchthat the element 11 is of malleable material 110 so that by driving the screw 16 inward the tongue 10fmay be bent to clamp between it r having a radius somewhat less than that of the interior of the body, so that longitudinal biting edges are provided for engagement with the conduit. Y

Now it may be explained that a longitudinal rocking action is permitted the retaining element by the'looseness of the screw 12 within its aperture 13 of the body. Therefore, contraction and expansion of the lip engaging portions of the device may be accomplished to a material extent, solely by means of the screw 16. When the screw 16 is withdrawn to about the limit of its out-v ward movement, the remote end of the retaining element may approach the lip engaging portion of the body for insertion through the opening of the box or receptacle. `Thereafter,.by driving the screw inward, the li engaging portions are separated into hol ing engagement with the lips and further inward movement of the screw deforms the element into effective conduit clamping condition. Thus it will be seen thatscrew 12 is essential more as an adjusting and holding means than as an actuating device in attaching the coupler.

InyFigs. 6 and. 7 is shown a modification of the coupler wherein screw 12 is dispensed with and a single screw performs the double function of expanding the lip engaging portions and contracting the clampingparts.

Here the body 30 is substantially identical with the former body 1, andthe retaining element 31 differs from the corresponding element of the previous construction by having a transverse groove 32 in its inner face and a rib 33 across its outer face at substantially its longitudinal center. A piny 34 projects transversely through the body and occupies the groove 32 to prevent displacement of the retaining element and provide for it a fulcrum. As before, a screw, designated 35, is threaded through the wall of the offset and bears against the clamping end of the element and'serves to rock the element upon the pin 34 to expand the lip en- Agaging portions and, when necessary, to

bend the elementfor firm clamping engagement with a conduit.

Having thus described my what I-claim is:

1. A device of the character set frth com` invention,

prising a rigid tubular body, a retaining belement within said tubular body, the body and element each having a lip engaging portion opposed to the corresponding portion of the other,l and means for moving apart he lip engaging portions of the element and 2. A device of the character set forth comprising a rigid tubular body, a retaining element within said tubular body, the body and element each having a lip engaging portion opposed to the corresponding portion of the other, and'means for moving saidelement substantially radially of the body.

3. A device of the character set forth com'- prising a rigid tubular body, a retaining element within said tubular body, the body and `element each having .a lip engaging portion opposed to the corresponding portion of the other, means loosely and adjustably connecting the element to the body, and

yfurther means for actuating the element to moving said end' of the retaining element substantially radially outward with respect to .the body, and further means for forcing` the opposite end of the element inward in lanping relation to an opposed part of the 5.y A device of the character set forth comprising a rigid tubular body, a retaining element within and extending along one side thereof, the body and element each havinga lip engaging4 portion opposed to the corresponding portion of the other, means loosely connecting the element to the body so that the element may rock longitudinally with respect to the body, and means for rocking the element to move its lip` engaging portion away from the lip engaging portion of the body.

6. A device of the character set forth comprising a rigid tubular body, a retaining element within and extending along one side thereof, the body and element each having a lip engaging portion opposed to the corresponding portion of the other, means loosely connecting the element to the -body so that the element may rock longitudinally with respect-to the body, and means for forcing the end of the element remote from its lip engaging portion inward.

7. A device of the character set forth comprising a tubular body, a retaining element movablelsubstantially radially of said body, the element having biting lips on its inner face, and means for movlng said element.

8. A device of the character set forth comprising a tubular body for the reception of the end of a conduit, a retaining element,

-Wardly opening said element into clamping relation With a Wall of the body thereby to secure the conduit Within the body.

9. A device of the character set forth comprising a tubular body having an inone side, a retaining element, means loosely supporting said element intermediate its ends vWithin said channel, and a screw!` threaded through the Wall of the body and engagingsaid element, as and for the purtpose specified.

10. A' device of the character set forth comprising a tubular body, a retainin element extending along the interior o one side thereof, the element and body each having a lip engaging portion that is opposed to the correspondlng portion of the other, a screw passing freely through the Wall of the body yand threaded into the retaining element adjacent its lip engaging portion, and a screw threaded through the Wall of the body and bearing against the end of the element remote from its lip engaging portion.

" 11. A device of the character set .forth comprising a tubular element having an inwardly opening channel extending alongA one side, a retaining element Within said A channel and having a neck extension at one end which terminates in a lateral bead, the body having a neck extension at its corresponding end which terminates in a bead channel extending along.

that is opposed to the bead of the element, means forretaining the element Within the channel While permitting it to rock longitudinally, and means for forcing the end of the element remote from its neck toward the opposed Wall of 'the body.

12. A device of the character set forth comprising a tubular element having an inwardly opening channel extending along one side, a retaining element Within said channel and having a neck extension at one end Which terminates in lateral bead, the

l body having a neck extension at its corre- -channel While permitting it to rock longitudinally, and means for moving apart the neck extensions of the elementand body.

13. A device of the character set forth comprising a tubular body, a retaining element of malleable material extending along one side thereof, the body and element each having a lip engaging portion at one end opposed to the correspondingportion of the other, means loosely connecting the element to the body so that the element may rock longitudinally, and means for forcing the end of the element remote from its lip engaging portion into clamping relation with an opposed portion of the body.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

MORTIMER C. BOSENFELD 

